Just in time for Veteran’s Day, Fantasy of Flight celebrates all things from land, air, and sea.

Vintage aircraft -- like this plane seen at the 2008 Roar n' Soar weekend at Fantasy of Flight, will be back on display this weekend.

POLK CITY – This weekend, Jennifer Montague said, the emphasis will definitely be on the word “roar.”
“We like to fly the loud stuff this weekend,” said Montague, the director of events, sales and marketing at Fantasy of Flight, the tourist attraction in Polk City. “We sit on 2,500 acres of land here, and we use a lot of it this weekend. We say ‘Get your speed on here at Fantasy of Flight.’ ”
This weekend, Fantasy of Flight will host its Fifth Annual Roar n’ Soar on Saturday and Sunday, starting at 10 a.m. and ending at 5 p.m. both days, at the attraction at 1400 Broadway Boulevard SE in Polk City.
This is a gathering of classic racing machines with, as Montague noted, the excitement coming from things that glide along on land, sea and air – not to mention food and entertainment that’s going to be suitable for the entire family.
“When we started the concept of it, it was sort of the answer to losing the Citrus Festival in Winter Haven,” Montague said. “When that went away, we really didn’t have a Polk County festival, and this was a way to build an event and add to our already existing attraction, and have it affordable and for the whole family. It’s just $23 for tickets.”
One-day tickets do cost $23 for adults and $12 for children ages 6-12, while two-day tickets are $38 for adults and $19 for children. Kids ages 5 and younger get in free, while one free child’s admission comes with each paid adult ticket.
The event will offer aerial demonstrations, classic car slalom competitions, exhibition fly-bys from vintage race boats, an aerial “dog fight” by powered para-gliders, and a sports showcase featuring skilled motocross riders.
Guests can also expect to see a classic boat show and regatta, while there will be precision aerial maneuvers featuring the “World’s Greatest Aircraft Collection,” including the Grumman Duck, P51-C and T-6 Texan.
If you’ve been to this event in the past, expect to be entertained by some new performers added on this year.
“One of the newest attractions that we’ll have is the Ives Brothers and the Ball of Steel, a young motocross team,” Montague said.
The Ives Brothers, Kyle and Cody, make up the youngest motocross team in America and will offer up a gravity-defying “Original Ball of Steel Show,” complete with freestyle distance jumps. The brothers have performed all over the world with other famous motocross and motorcycle stuntmen, including Robbie Knievel, Spanky Spangler, the Metal Mulisha, and the Orange County Choppers.
“It starts with just one of the motorcycles, and they go upside down and all over the place,” Montague said. “I saw them at another show and really wanted to have it here at Roar ‘n Soar.”
The weekend event also features the Rare, Antique, Classic & Exotic Car Show with one-of-a-kind luxury automobiles that will include the Jaguar, Austin-Healy, Ferrari, BMW and Porsche. The Classic Race Boat Association is hosting 50 of the most powerful race boats ever built.
There will also be a special “Kid’s Crew” list of children’s activities over the weekend, including the opportunity for kids to fly their own hot air balloon and hang gliding simulators.
“Gosh, we’re adding so many things,” Montague said.
There will also be a military aspect to the weekend. Friday is Veteran’s Day, and in honor of that, Montague noted that “We do have a veteran’s angle. We’re hosting the Marine Families of Polk County and partnering with them, and if people want to come out and participate in the Bath in a Bag program, they get a free gift.”
Bath in a Bag is a special program designed to help American soldiers serving overseas in the Middle East. It’s a way to help them clean up, Montague said.
“It’s a program they developed to send these materials over to the troops,” she said. “It’s a big trash bag, it’s a gallon of water, and it’s foot powder. The soldier steps into the bag and it helps get them wet and feel cleaner. We’re collecting towels and zip-lock bags and things like that to send them. We like to celebrate Veteran’s Day with this event. We like to have a moment at noon where we celebrate our troops before we celebrate all things from land, sea and air.”
Active military and veterans can get a weekend event pass for $15 per person and also receive a free weekend pass for a child.
For more information or to purchase Roar n’ Soar tickets, call 863-984-3500 or visit www.fantasyofflight.com.
Fantasy of Flight is an aviation-themed attraction that showcases vintage aircraft from the world’s largest private collection, and has interactive exhibits, a tram tour of aircraft maintenance areas, restoration and back lot tours, and programs like “The Tuskegee Airmen – They Dared to Fly” exhibit.